Les Bowen

STAFF WRITER

Les Bowen has covered the Eagles since 2002. Before that, he covered the Flyers for 13 years. He came to the Daily News from the Charlotte Observer in May 1983, just as the Sixers were winning the NBA championship. He thought, "Gosh, this sort of thing must happen all the time here."

In response to a question, Michael Vick acknowledged today that he wonders how his life and career might have been different, if he had been an Eagle from the beginning.

"I thought about that a couple days ago. You wonder why things happen. Things certainly happen for a reason. I just thought about that ... If I could have started my career here, where would I be? Would I have ended up in some of the things I got involved in?" said Vick, who played for the Falcons from 2001-2006, then went to prison and missed two complete seasons because of his role in a dogfighting operation. "You never know, but hey, you can't say that, you can only think about it and wonder and appreciate being in this position now.

"I can't say what we would have accomplished, but as far as my growth as a passer, it would have been expedited tremendously."

Andy Reid, meanwhile, is not worried about complacency amid all the accolades and acclaim coming Vick’s way.

Vick knows better than anyone that "you can be at the top of the mountain" one day, "at the bottom of the well" the next, Reid said today.

Vick agrees. Asked on his radio show in Virginia Beach on Tuesday night about the speed of the skill position players on the Eagles offense, Vick turned it into a comment about the players’ desire and commitment.

“We all have a desire to be great,” he said. “Everybody wants to win the Super Bowl, everybody wants to make the pro bowl. Everybody wants notoriety and recognition. That’s what brings out the best in the great players and the great teams.”

Today in the locker room Vick, deflected a question about the splash he made Monday night in Washington, and the talk of him becoming league MVP, into how fortunate he feels to have such tremendous coaches and teammates.

"It wasn't all me," Vick said. "I was just one of the guys who helped contribute."

Reid said Vick has been "like a sponge" trying out new concepts, accepting coaching.

As he did in the moments after the drubbing of Washington, Reid said it was not a perfect game and there are things the Eagles can learn from.

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On other topics …

* Reid was asked about spitgate: "I know they're looking into that." He doesn't get into it, etc.

* On the injury front: Ernie Sims (ankle) will practice; Nate Allen (neck) will practice after missing Monday night’s game. Juqua Parker (hip) and LeSean McCoy (AC sprain) will get the day off to rest injuries. All should play. On McCoy, Reid said, he “should be OK in a day or so.”

Allen said: "I'm good to go."

* Ellis Hobbs is being eased back in at practice and should be ready but Dmitri Patterson remains the starter at cornerback. Hobbs could see some return duty.

* Reid said it is possible Max Jean-Gilles and Nick Cole could alternate at right guard against the Giants. They will split reps in practice.